Illustration: biratan
Illustration: biratan
What would summer be like without the whine of mosquitoes, ants at your picnic, and the chirp of that one displaced cricket under your bed? To some people, it would be heaven. But picture the same summer without butterflies, honeybees, and lightning bugs. Now you’ve fallen far from paradise. Yet, in our haste to eradicate the bugs that bug us, we often harm the ones that benefit us. Luckily, there are better ways to attack the pest-control problem.
The Advantage of Organic
It takes more work to combat pests naturally. So why bother? Because conventional insecticides are often harmful not only to the “bad” bugs, but to the good bugs, humans, and the environment. According to the EPA “By their very nature, most pesticides create some risk of harm. Pesticides can cause harm to humans, animals, or the environment because they are designed to kill or otherwise adversely affect living organisms.”
The two most common classes of synthetic pesticides — organophosphates and carbamates — act as neurotoxins, while others have digestive, topical, or endocrine effects. Because chemical residues can persist on lawns, surfaces, food, and in ground water, human exposure to pesticides can occur through inhalation, absorption through the skin, and ingestion.
In addition, synthetic pesticide chemicals have large-scale ecological impact. In much the same way that improper antibiotic use can breed resistant bacteria, pesticide use breeds resistant pests. Also, pesticides often kill the good bugs that act as natural predators of the pest in question. Such non-targeted action has been linked to widespread pollinator decline.
The Ecological Approach
Whether you’re looking at grubs in your lawn, bean beetles in the garden, or roaches in your house, taking the ecological approach to pest control means looking at the larger ecosystem. To keep the bugs at bay without resorting to heavy-handed poisons, you want to create an environment that is inhospitable to the pests but at the same time encourages natural predators and healthy, resilient plants.
Step One: Habitat. The first step to winning the turf war with insects is to understand why they “choose” the places they do. In one way or another, all pests need a source of food, water and shelter, but understanding the specifics will go a long way to helping you overcome them. Mosquitoes, for instance, like standing water — and need very little to breed. So eliminating stagnant water is a good first step in eliminating mosquitoes.
Step Two: Repellence. When you’ve identified an insect pest, it is time to devise a plan of repellence. Strategies include barriers, traps, and deterrents. Cutworms in the garden can be foiled by placing stiff cardboard “collars” around the bases of young plants, and aphids can be deterred by a strong blast of water. A band of diatomaceous earth spread around plants can deter nearly any hard-shelled insect (so be sure to target your application). Copper makes an effective barrier to slugs.
Many insects are repelled by various plant-based mixtures, including garlic, citrus and/or hot pepper sprays. Essential oils are gaining clout as repellents, too. One of the toughest — and most prolific — urban pests is the cockroach, which can be killed and deterred by a spray of peppermint oil soap. Some of the more popular essential oils are rose geranium (fleas and ticks), eucalyptus, tea tree oil, and citronella (a famous anti-mosquito fragrance). A combination of these oils can be suspended in a carrier oil (like olive, coconut, sesame) or in a liquid base (such as a mix of witch hazel and rubbing alcohol). They can then be placed in a pump sprayer. Once diluted, these oils are safe for children and pets.
Another idea that works well for the lawn and garden involves companion planting. Many plants are repellent to various insects. Catnip, marigolds, basil, and pennyroyal all make good companion plants and are well-suited to container culture — perfect for tucking into the corner of a patio or balcony.
A final type of “repellence” follows a contrarian strategy, using various baits to attract the pest into a trap; fly papers are a good example. Sugary baits work well for trapping roaches, fruit flies, wasps, and hornets. Pheromone lures are available for Indian meal moths (often found in the pantry), coddling moths, and as the ubiquitous “beetle baggers” which trap Japanese beetles by the scores. These can be quite effective as long as you follow the placement guidelines. You want to trap the existing pests without drawing any extras to your yard.
Step Three: Predation. In addition to reducing the population of irritating pests, you want to increase the population of predators. Frogs and spiders are great all-purpose insectivores, but there are also many beneficial insects. Ladybugs, green lacewings, praying mantises, parasitic wasps, and dragonflies all act as prey on some species of pesky insects during some portion of their lifecycle. Dragonfly larvae are aquatic and consume vast quantities of mosquito larvae. Predatory nematodes attack grubs.
One of the best ways to draw beneficial insects to your yard is to plant desirable (frequently nectar-producing) plants such as monarda, (also known as Horsemint, beebalm, bergamot) anise hyssop, fennel, dill, and borage. And assuming you already have the pests it eats, you can introduce the appropriate predator. Many beneficial insects are available through garden-supply stores and mail order. Try Underwood Gardens in Woodstock, Ill., for organic pest-control supplies and information.
Step Four: Eradication. There are times — generally when a pest threatens to wipe out a garden crop or cause health problems — when you may need to choose a pesticide. In such cases, choose the least-damaging one possible. Several organic options exist, including plant-based insecticides such as neem, pyrethrin, and rotenone. While less toxic than their synthetic counterparts, these are still powerful and it is necessary to obey the instructions exactly.
There are also physical insecticides, such a diatomaceous earth, which work by physically harming the insect. And then there are microbial agents, such as Bt, the bacterium bacillus thuringiensis (useful on controlling moth larvae such as cabbage worms) and milky spore disease (effective against Japanese beetle grubs). Bt is also available in tablets called “dunks” as an effective mosquito control for standing water.
Where to Begin?
With so many options, it may seem overwhelming to devise an organic pest-control program. Begin by consulting a cooperative extension agent, experienced organic farmer or gardener, or book for help. An excellent all-around source is The Organic Gardener’s Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control, which offers full-color pictures and comprehensive information. Other good books are Natural Pest Control by Andrew Lopez and Clean, Naturally by Sandy Maine. Both feature recipes for homemade pest-control formulas.
Consider contacting the Illinois Stewardship Alliance, dedicated to helping people live sustainably, or the University of Illinois Extension Agency Urban Programs, which publishes electronic and print newsletters.
Erica Myers-Russo writes when the rain falls and gardens when the sun shines, and sustains a borderline pathological vendetta on the wireworm, which decimates her potatoes nearly every year. Contact her at [click to e-mail].
Get More Info:
• Illinois Stewardship Alliance, PO Box 648, 114 E. Main, Rochester, Ill. 62563; www.illinoisstewardshipalliance.org; E-mail: [click to e-mail]; 217-498-9707.
• University of Illinois Extension Office of Urban Programs, 547 Bevier Hall, 905 S. Goodwin, Urbana, Ill. 61801; 217-265-6410; www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/steward ship/index.html
• Underwood Gardens, 1414 Zimmerman Rd., Woodstock, Ill. 60098; 815-338-6279; www.underwoodgardens.com
• Safer Pest Control Project. Declare your yard or garden a “Pesticide-Free Zone” by purchasing the group’s signature ladybug sign. The project is a member of the “National Coalition for Pesticide-Free Lawns.” Visit www.spcpweb.org or call 312-759-8257.